Hurricane Katrina, a climatological Perspective October 2005, Updated August 2006 Introduction
Figure 5. Preliminary Estimate of Rainfall Amounts Associated with Katrina
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- Gust (mph) Station ID Station Name
- Gust (mph) CMAN or Buoy ID Lat
- Figure 6. Preliminary Observations for Maximum Wind Gusts Associated with Katrina. 3. Contributing Factors
- Figure 7. Gulf of Mexico SST Anomaly (Departure from Normal) During Katrina’s Development.
- Figure 8. July – September SST Anomalies for 1880-Present, for the Gulf of Mexico (top graph) and Atlantic (bottom graph ), (Smith and Reynolds, 2004 with updates).
- Figure 9. 200 mb to 850 mb Zonal Wind Shear Anomaly for August 2005. 4. Views Via Remote Sensing
- Figure 10. NEXRAD Images Prior to, During, and After Landfall.
- Figure 12. NOAA-18 (Polar Orbiter) Image of Katrina.
- Figure 14. Side-by-side Images of Camille (left) vs Katrina (right). 5. Historical Perspective 5.1 Previous Hurricanes
- 5.2 Hurricanes Along the Central Gulf Coast
- Hurricanes that have made landfall between Houma, LA and Mobile, AL, 1722 to 2005
- Figure 15. Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) for 1960 through 2005
- Figure 17. Number of Hurricane Days and Days with Hurricanes, 1960 through 2005. 6. Additional Resources
Figure 5. Preliminary Estimate of Rainfall Amounts Associated with Katrina. 2.4 High Winds Very high winds occurred along a rather large swath in Katrina’s path, due to the size of the storm, with highest winds in the eyewall near landfall, especially in the right-front quadrant. However, due to the severe affects of the storm, many reporting stations in the areas of highest winds did not observe/report observations during the time of maximum winds. NEXRAD radial velocity data indicated peak winds near the surface of around 140 mph in the eyewall at time of landfall. The tables below show the peak wind gusts recorded by land stations (first table) along with Coastal Marine (CMAN) and buoy stations (second table), for locations which recorded speeds of at least 60 mph. Figure 6 provides a map of the estimated maximum wind gusts.
Figure 6. Preliminary Observations for Maximum Wind Gusts Associated with Katrina. 3. Contributing Factors A number of factors contributed to making Katrina a strong Category 5 hurricane (though weakening to Category 3 just prior to landfall). Sea surface temperatures (SST) in the Gulf of Mexico were one to two degrees Celsius above normal (see Figure 7), and the warm temperatures extended to a considerable depth through the upper ocean layer. Also, Katrina crossed the “loop current” (belt of even warmer water), during which time explosive intensification occurred. The temperature of the ocean surface is a critical element in the formation and strength of hurricanes. As shown in Figure 8, there has been an overall increasing trend in July-September Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico SSTs during the past 100 years marked by two distinct periods of increasing temperatures (1910-1945; 1976-present). This pattern is similar to that observed across global land and ocean surfaces. Also, vertical wind shear was less than normal, which allowed for the storm to develop quickly. Figure 9 illustrates the wind shear in the area, using the 200 mb to 850 mb zonal shear anomaly for the month of August 2005, with negative zonal shear anomalies. 
Figure 7. Gulf of Mexico SST Anomaly (Departure from Normal) During Katrina’s Development.  
Figure 8. July – September SST Anomalies for 1880-Present, for the Gulf of Mexico (top graph) and Atlantic (bottom graph), (Smith and Reynolds, 2004 with updates). 
Figure 9. 200 mb to 850 mb Zonal Wind Shear Anomaly for August 2005. 4. Views Via Remote Sensing Satellite and radar images of Katrina provide an excellent view of the storm from space and as seen by local NEXRAD sites along the Gulf coast. Figures 10-13 show the very well organized nature of the storm. These images include NEXRAD reflectivity from New Orleans and Mobile, along with NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) and Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) images. The heaviest bands of rainfall shown on radar coincide with the strongest wind gusts at the surface, as the heavy rain and thunderstorms transfer momentum from the level of highest winds (above the surface) down closer to the surface. Although Katrina weakened somewhat just prior to landfall, the height and extent of the storm surge was not affected much by this trend, as the “buildup” of the ocean surface not only relates to storm strength but storm duration and size, along with the shape and ocean water depth along the coastline. Finally, Figure 14 shows a satellite comparison of Camille vs Katrina, which provides a good perspective of Katrina’s large size.  
Figure 10. NEXRAD Images Prior to, During, and After Landfall. 
Figure 11. GOES-12 Visible Image of Katrina. 
Figure 12. NOAA-18 (Polar Orbiter) Image of Katrina. 
Figure 13. GOES-12 Colorized Infrared Image of Katrina. 
Figure 14. Side-by-side Images of Camille (left) vs Katrina (right). 5. Historical Perspective 5.1 Previous Hurricanes Hurricane Katrina, while likely being the most costly hurricane on record, was not the most intense U.S. landfalling hurricane. Hurricane Camille, which followed a similar path to Katrina, was a much stronger storm when it made landfall along the Mississippi coast in 1969. The most costly hurricane to strike the U.S. prior to Katrina was Hurricane Andrew, which made landfall in southern Florida in 1992. These storms, as well as 4 major hurricanes in 2004 that led to the most costly hurricane season on record at the time, are briefly discussed below. Landfalling hurricanes in 2004 created approximately $45 billion in estimated losses in the U.S., along with 168 fatalities from direct and indirect causes related to the hurricanes. Hurricane Camille: Hurricane Camille ravaged the Mississippi coastline when it made landfall on the night of August 17, 1969 with winds approaching 190 mph and a storm surge of 24.2 feet. The storm was an extremely strong Category 5 hurricane which caused 144 deaths in Mississippi and Louisiana and another 112 flood-related deaths in Virginia where up to 27 inches of rain fell within about 8 hours. Total damage was $1.42 billion in 1969, which equates to approximately $8.9 billion when adjusted for inflation. Only one hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. has had wind speeds estimated to be higher: the Labor Day hurricane of 1935 that struck the Florida Keys with sustained winds approaching 200 mph. Although Hurricane Camille took a path similar to Hurricane Katrina, and its estimated maximum wind speeds were greater than those of Katrina, the extent of hurricane force winds was much less, stretching only 75 miles from the center of the storm, as compared to well over 100 miles for Katrina. The smaller size of this category 5 hurricane resulted in damage that was more localized than that from Katrina. See Figure 14 for satellite images of Katrina vs Camille. Hurricane Andrew: Prior to 2005, the most costly hurricane to strike the U.S. was Hurricane Andrew, which made landfall in southern Florida south of Miami on August 24, 1992. It caused $25 billion damage in Florida and was the most expensive of all natural disasters in United States history until Hurricane Katrina. Total damages equate to approximately $43.7 billion when adjusted for inflation. Maximum sustained winds at the time of landfall were estimated at 165 mph, a category 5 storm. The central pressure was 922 millibars, which is the third lowest on record for a landfalling hurricane in the U.S (after the 1935 Florida Keys Labor Day storm and Hurricane Camille in 1969). After striking Florida, Andrew moved northwest across the Gulf of Mexico to make a second landfall in a sparsely populated area of south-central Louisiana as a Category 3 storm. Hurricane Charley: In August 2004, this Category 4 hurricane made landfall in southwest Florida, resulting in major wind and some storm surge damage in Florida, along with some damage in the states of South Carolina and North Carolina. The total damages exceeded $15 billion, with at least 35 deaths. Hurricane Frances: In September 2004, this Category 2 hurricane made landfall in east-central Florida, causing significant wind, storm surge, and flooding damage in Florida, along with considerable flood damage in the states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and New York, due to 5 to 15-inch rains. The total damages exceeded $9 billion, with at least 48 deaths. Hurricane Ivan: In September 2004, this Category 3 hurricane made landfall on the Gulf coast of Alabama, with significant wind, storm surge, and flooding damage in coastal Alabama and the Florida panhandle, along with wind/flood damage in the states of Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. The estimated damages exceeded $14 billion, and there were at least 57 deaths. Hurricane Jeanne: In September 2004, this Category 3 hurricane made landfall in east-central Florida, causing considerable wind, storm surge, and flooding damage in Florida, with some flood damage also in the states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, along with Puerto Rico. The estimated damages exceeded $7 billion, and there were at least 28 deaths. For additional information and statistics on historic storms, see: - National Hurricane Center – http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastall.shtml - National Climatic Data Center -- http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/ - National Climatic Data Center -- http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/tropical-cyclones/ 5.2 Hurricanes Along the Central Gulf Coast The central Gulf Coast has been impacted by a large number of topical cyclones over the years. From 1722-2005, 45 hurricanes made landfall between Houma, LA and Mobile, AL (see table below). Literature sites additional storms prior to the 20th Century but little information is available to confirm these events (Ludlum, 1963; Sullivan, 1986; and Roth, 1998). The area has also felt the affects of several more hurricanes and tropical storms that have passed or made landfall nearby. Hurricanes that have made landfall between Houma, LA and Mobile, AL, 1722 to 2005
5.3 Indices and Trends The Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) index is one method to describe trends in tropical cyclone activity. This index uses a combination of the tropical cyclone’s duration in a particular ocean basin, along with the strength of each storm. Figure 15 shows the recent upward trend, which appears to be part of a long-term cycle in activity, with the 1950’s-1960’s also being an active period. Of course, during that time, there was much less commercial and residential development along our coastlines. Figures 16-17 show the number of tropical cyclones, number of hurricane-days, and number of days with hurricanes, from 1960 through 2005. 
Figure 15. Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) for 1960 through 2005. 
Figure 16. Number of Tropical Cyclones by Year for 1960 through 2005. 
Figure 17. Number of Hurricane Days and Days with Hurricanes, 1960 through 2005. 6. Additional Resources NWS Jackson, MS images of Katrina Damage: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jan/katrina/ NWS Mobile/Pensacola images of Katrina Damage: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mob/0805Katrina/ FEMA Photo Library: Katrina Images NOAA aerial photos of Katrina damage: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2500.htm NOAA hurricane hunter images of Katrina: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2496.htm USGS photos and other information: http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/katrina/ National Hurricane Center – http://www.nhc.noaa.gov National Climatic Data Center -- http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/ National Climatic Data Center -- http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/tropical-cyclones/
7. References Ludlum, D.M. 1963. Early American Hurricanes, 1492-1870. Amer. Met. Soc. Boston, MA. 198 p.p. NOAA, 1999. Tropical Cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean, 1871-1998. Historical Climatology Series 6-2. National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, NC. 206 p.p. NOAA, 2005. Track Maps, 1851- 2004. Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory Reanalysis Project. [http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/Track-Maps.htm] NOAA, 2005. 1901-2003 United States Landfalling Hurricanes. National Climatic Data Center. [http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/hurricanes.html] Roth, D. 1998. Louisiana Hurricanes. NOAA National Weather Service, Lake Charles, LA. [http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lch/research/lahur.htm] Smith, T.M., and R.W. Reynolds, 2004: Improved extended reconstruction of SST (1854-1997). Journal of climate, 17 (12), 2466-2477. Sullivan, C.L. 1986. Hurricanes of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, 1717 to Present. Gulf Publishing Company – The Sun Herald. 139 p.p. Directory: pub -> data -> techrpts pub -> Harmonised compatibility and sharing conditions for video pmse in the 7 9 ghz frequency band, taking into account radar use techrpts -> 1997 Atlantic Tropical Storms techrpts -> Introduction data -> Chapter 1 Introduction to mcs basic-52 data -> National Climatic Data Center data -> National Climatic Data Center data -> C birmingham ap c huntsville data -> Anthony Arguez and Russell Vose Download 168.9 Kb. Share with your friends:
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